In June Stever quit Cintas-one of its drivers was her friend and let her out of her contract early-and now rents from rival Aramark.īig clients have been unhappy, too. Among them: Cintas delivered uniform pants with holes, tacked on escalating service charges of $5 to $20 a week and, she says, tricked her into renewing her five-year contract (she was told it was about to expire when it wasn't up for another year). Typical among unhappy customers is Diana Stever, owner of an eight-employee truck repair outfit in Duenweg, Mo. But to judge from a cascade of complaints and lawsuits, Cintas has been squeezing pennies a little too hard in an industry known for tough sales tactics. In the fiscal year ended May 31 the Cincinnati company netted $327 million on $3.4 billion in revenue, up 8.8% and 11%, respectively, from a year earlier. Farmer, who kept a tight lid on costs while delivering a 37-year streak of consecutive sales and profit gains, building Cintas into a giant provider of uniform rentals and cleaning services. "We have a Spartan approach." He learned that from his dad, Richard T. "This looks like wood paneling, but it's wallpaper," he smiles, tapping the hollow wall behind the desk in his office. Click here to see a sampling of letters we received in response to this story.
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